


A Way Home

by LifeIsTicketyBoo



Category: Heartlands (film)
Genre: A zombie but a nice one, A zombie that keeps his intelligence, Alternate Universe - Colin dies, Alternate Universe - Zombies, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bittersweet Ending, Blood and Gore, Captured for science, Gen, Holding back from eating other humans, Killed for an affair, Murder, Plenty of walks around nature, Remembering his old self, Sandra cares about him, You feel bad for the zombie, Zombie!Colin is still a sweetie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24588568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LifeIsTicketyBoo/pseuds/LifeIsTicketyBoo
Summary: A man gains a second chance in life. How did it begin, and how will it end?
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	A Way Home

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y'all! So, allow me to introduce to you a story that was based on a dream I had. A bizarre "what-if" that still explores similar themes but expect a lot more tragedy this. This is a story about the adorable protagonist becoming a zombie, after all (I know, it sounds insane, but trust me that I know how to make this work). I don't know how many chapters will be but it won't be too long, so stay tuned for updates!
> 
> WARNING: This chapter starts with a man dying before he comes back to life, so if you want to avoid it skip to the second half of the chapter to advance to the main plot point.

It all happened in a second, too quickly for Colin to comprehend, but the first thing he felt was the pain.  
It was instant, but strong, rattling his mind and overwhelming all five of his senses. He stumbled back and hit something rough. The scratchy sound as his body slid to the ground against it hinted that it was a tree's log, providing support without actually doing anything. He grunted, struggling to breathe, and then looked down.  
The second thing he felt was something soaking his shirt. A red blotch expanded over the fabric at the left side of his chest. It was warm and even a bit thick, his hand grew sticky at the touch of it, and when he turned it around he saw it was now covered in the maroon liquid. "Is... Is that blood?" He whispered a question to himself, frowning his brow in dazed confusion as he struggled to piece together what just happened.

Then his ears caught something. A voice. A very familiar voice.

"Sorry 'bout that, Col. I didn't want to do this, you know."

He winced and looked up, recognizing the stout middle-aged man looming above him. It was Geoff, observing him from his spot and playing with his pistol in impatient boredom as if he had somewhere to go to, but where? He wasn't too sure, but he knew one thing: He had something to do with this. "Wh...Why?" Colin mumbled a question, his voice barely audible. It was the only thing he could ask, the only logical word to say in a time where nothing made any sense whatsoever. He could feel the strength draining away from his body as he spoke.  
"That's not your problem anymore, a'ight?" The man reassured him calmly, even casually, as he tucked the pistol in the pocket of his trousers, "Just stay here and, uh, have a kip. You'll be alright."  
No. He wouldn't be alright, not when he was bleeding from his chest and left to die in the middle of nowhere. He wanted to object, to say that he wanted to leave with him and go back home to his wife, but he was unable to form a coherent sentence that would make sense to him. Instead, he simply stayed there and watched as Geoff turned back to the car they arrived in, his large figure illuminated by the vehicle's lights and framed in darkness like an evil spirit walking into the gates to Purgatory. Colin tried to wrestle some words out of his mouth, but it was even more difficult to say anything now as the bloody stain grew larger and darker on his shirt. What else could he do now aside from staring at the car driving off into the distance to leave him stranded in this unfamiliar forest, still processing what had happened and quiet beginning to sob when it all dawned on him, the very thought that this is his end. 'It's not fair.' He thought in anguish, 'It's not bloody fair! I haven't done anything wrong, did I? I just did what I could, didn't I? I just...'  
As he wept for a little longer, the rumble of the car's engine swallowed up by the stillness of the night. Only then did he begin to hear other sounds that replaced the eerie silence that was left from Geoff's departure. He could hear crickets chirping from their hiding place in the bushes, the wind whistling through the branches of trees and brushing its way through his untamed curls, an owl was hooting in the distance... This nightly symphony was able to calm Colin his tears down, but only a bit. There is only so much that this woodsy atmosphere could do for a man who was abandoned by someone he trusted, a man who shot him and left him to rot all alone. His body continued to grow weaker, his mind became a blur, and his sight worsened by the minute no matter how hard he tried to squint his eyes to make it clear again. After minutes of gazing into nothingness, he realized it was pointless to put an effort and let out a shaky sigh of defeat, slowly lifting his eyes to the night sky instead. He gazed at the field of stars adorning the blackness, glistening like pricey jewels. There were so many of them up there, more than he had ever seen back at home, and they all looked so very beautiful.

A weak smile crept onto Colin's lips as he admired them from his spot. "Sandra..." He whispered, "You... You watch them too, right? Can you see it...? Sandra..."

Even now he wondered if she was doing alright. He just couldn't help it. He knew she wasn't perfect, complaining often and always shrinking away whenever they had a private moment in the bedroom, but he still loved her with all his heart, even now when he was about to meet his maker and said heart was punctured by a bullet. The idea that she would be all alone burdened him, and something inside him urged him to do something about it despite his state, but he already knew it was impossible. He was stuck here and Geoff was already far, far away in his car, so he just sat there, waiting until his time came and continuing to admire the field of stars above him. His muscles were now so weak that he could barely lift a finger, and the stars gradually turned into blurry white spots that he barely recognized anymore, so there was one last thing he could do. He closed his eyes and absorbed the nocturnal sounds around him, allowing them to lull him into a deep sleep.

The only problem was he could only close his eyes halfway before his body stopped moving completely.

\---------

Sandra was resting on her sofa, trying to put her mind at ease by switching the channels on the television. The fact she had to manage the shop all on her own after Colin said he had to go somewhere left her in a bitter mood, one where she gets the urge to toss an unfortunate pillow to the floor and smack it repeatedly like a disobedient child. Geoff wasn't answering either, and even he was probably too busy with his job to know where her husband was, so she had to occupy herself until someone gave her a response. She cleaned her aquarium twice already, watched at least three tapes on her telly and almost finished her box of cigarettes, and once she got tired of switching channels she exhaled and turned back to the aquarium, watching as her tropical fish fluttered by in the water.  
It has been a routine she was used to for the past few years, ever since both she and Colin opened the shop together: He headed out on his moped, prepared everything that was necessary and she arrived half an hour later to be around and keep an eye on things, and even then it wasn't much. The most she did was to keep a close eye on the disobedient schoolboys that skipped school often to sneak in and have a smoke or nibble on sweets before they can pay for it. She barely paid attention to how long it went on at this point, passing from one day to another with the intention of getting each one of them over with as quickly as possible, though it was mostly thanks to the fact Colin did most of the work for her without a second thought. It was ridiculous how obedient he was, always eager to make her happy at the cost of his own desires. It was irritating, but also admirable, and she secretly enjoyed how dedicated he was to ensure she felt safe and sound, even if she kept grumbling at the miserably mundane life she found herself in and closed herself from him as a result.  
He was a bumbling fool, but his big heart made up for it. It did not bring money to the table but it was still something for her to enjoy whenever she was in a good mood. He cared about things: Big things, little things, insignificant things and meaningful things. No matter what it was, he would always find something interesting about whatever was on his mind and she truly loved that about him. Unfortunately, her stubbornness and lack of joy from the dullness of their relationship washed it all away as quickly as it came. She still cared enough about him, though, which is why his absence for the past few hours worried her immensely. He always came back on time, so what was different now?  
Before she could contemplate it any further, however, she heard the door's handle clinking as it opened, and she shot up on her feet in anticipation, not thinking twice as she rushed to the entrance to see what it was. However, the man she found wasn't Colin.

"Hello there, love." Geoff greeted her with a small smile, "Missed me?"

Sandra blinked at him, surprised by his appearance. "Oh, Geoff. Evening." She greeted him and returned the smile. At least she had the relief of knowing that someone could help her out. She scooted away and allowed him to give her a soft peck on the lips as he entered the house. "How was work?" She then asked, not wanting to sound too desperate about her oblivious husband's quietude.  
Geoff exhaled as he settled on the couch. "Same old, same old. Found a couple of chavs around the corner and talked some sense into them." He gave her a casual reply as he picked up the television's remote, "Called their parents, you know."  
Sandra gave him a brief nod to show her understanding, noticing the man patting the empty space beside him on the couch. She went to sit down beside him, but deep down she was still unsettled by Colin's absence. It wasn't like him to be so late, not without telling her that he is delayed by something, and Geoff's skills as a cop might be helpful to her situation. After taking a few more moments to think it over, she turned her head back to Geoff, who was already busying himself with the news. "Uh, Geoff..." She reluctantly spoke up, "Can I ask you something?"  
Geoff turned to her, raising a bushy eyebrow. "'Course. I'm all ears." He said, waiting for her to speak.  
Another moment of hesitation on Sandra's end, but she quickly decided to just get it over with. "I haven't gotten any calls from Colin. He should have been back by now." She spouted, pouring out her worry to him before growing silent right after to see his reaction.  
Hearing that, Geoff raised both his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" He asked in disbelief, "He doesn't lift a toe without ringing you."  
"That's exactly the problem. He's just... He didn't say anything." Sandra replied, a hint of emotion creeping into her voice, "I wanted to ask you to help, but I didn't know where you were and I just... you know, didn't want to be a bother to you now."  
Geoff looked at her, listening intently, then let out a sigh. "You'll never be a bother to me, love. I promise you." He reassured her, his tone genuine enough to show he speaks the truth, "And hey, I don't think I can exactly look away when someone's missing like that, can I? Especially if it's for you."  
Sandra stayed quiet, caught off by how serene he sounded about what he just heard. Then again, he was a cop, and lord knows how many times he heard about these kinds of situations in his line of work. Maybe it was just her paranoia getting the best of her, or she just needed to stop smoking the cigarettes for a few good days. "It would mean a lot, Geoff, really." She quietly said to him while shifting in her place, feeling uncomfortable about the idea of making him go and look for the man she was cheating on. Maybe she was just overstaying her welcome, pushing him more than she needs to, but he was kind enough to offer a hand in this, and she wouldn't dare to refuse that gesture. She looked up to see Geoff giving her another smile, one that was somehow warm yet crooked at the same time, and he reached a hand to stroke her cheek. "It'll be fine, Sandra. I'll call them first thing in the morning if Col doesn't show up by then." He promised before giving her a wink. Something about it caused Sandra's heart to flutter and her breath to waver, a reminder as to why his charm was his best attribute. She watched as he slowly rose on his feet, his hand now reaching to hers as he tugged at it to help her up. Switching to a music channel, he gently pulled her closer. "Come on, some music and a dance might pep you up." He urged her, flashing another one of his smiles.  
She, of course, couldn't help but smile in return. Maybe he was right, maybe she was just worrying too much. Colin would have told her if something was up, he always did, and with Geoff by her side, he might be back at home before she even knows it. With her mind finally settled, she allowed her body to sway around to the beat of the music.

\---------

The rising sun gave way to a brand new morning, greeted by the dawn chorus of blackbirds and robins. A fresh breeze swerved past the trees and rustled through the dry, aging leaves scattered on the ground, carrying them along with it as night animals scattered back to their lairs. There was no sign of life, no hint of intruders who dared to break the peace. The only thing left there was the pale body of a man who died a few hours ago, sitting against one of the trees and blending into his surroundings, forsaken and forgotten...

But then its mouth gaped open and it let out a wheeze, and its eyes opened wide at the shock of it all.

It was stunned by the sensation of coming back to a point that the slightest movement sent it plummeting into the dirt, shaking and heaving in panic. Its red eyes darted around fearfully as if it has never seen this place before, and only now discovering where it ended up last night. Everything was so big, so strange, and more than anything - It was scary. So very scary. It began turning its head left and right, wondering if there is anyone nearby, and tried to call for help, but something was wrong: No matter how hard it tried to vocalize its plea, the only sound coming out of its throat was an unintelligible yowl, hoarse with raw emotion and misuse. It was like its vocal cords stopped working on their own and doomed the corpse to deal with what it got for the moment. It tried again and again, crying out for help of any kind, but no one came. This reanimated man was all alone.  
Despite the shakiness of its limbs, the corpse gritted its teeth and groaned loudly as it forced its body up on its feet with the tree's support. It stumbled back to the ground at first, then again, and only at the third time did it manage to stay up on its wobbling feet. Every muscle it moved felt weighty, forcing its body to lurch about instead of moving as an ordinary person would. It was irritating, but nothing it could control. As it took a few moments to inspect its appearance, paying more and more attention to the paleness of its skin and the dark red stain on the shirt it was wearing, a new realization came together from the fragments of its mind: It is - or to be exact, _he_ is - dead.  
_He_ was alive before this. _He_ had a life, far from here. Where? He didn't know, but something inside his cold, dead body told him that he needed to find out again. A purpose, a desire to move forward that can fill up that emptiness within him. Something was missing in there, but what was it? Why was it so hard to remember? He had to remember... He had to...  
A flash of white on the ground caught his attention, and he leaned his head down to see what it was. It was a photo, laying in the grass and waiting to be picked up by anyone who finds it, the photo to take a closer look. There were two people in it, a man and a woman, half-smiling at the camera that captured this moment. The man's face seemed eerily familiar, almost like a reflection he hadn’t seen for a while, and he tried to stroke his stiff fingers against the flesh of his cheek as if to find the answer printed on his skin. Then, slowly, his eyes turned to the woman beside that man, whose smile seemed more sad than happy. He let out a confused noise and pushed the photo closer to his face, struggling to put together who she was...

And then, before he could think further, it returned. The corpse's eyes grew wider as he whispered the woman's name.

"S...an...dra..."

Sandra. Her name was Sandra, and she was close to him. His own wife. When he looked at the man again, he finally remembered that it was him, back when he wasn't what he was now. He remembered they were together, worked together, and lived together. They were a happy couple... weren't they?  
The corpse whined in confusion, struggling to put together everything that he had forgotten so easily. His mind accepted and rejected it all at once, which made him feel more lost than ever, with no one to help him understand the predicament he was in. What else could a walking cadaver with a hole in his heart do by his lonesome, in the middle of this forest he doesn’t know? Was there any hope that he would get what he wanted...?  
However, once he looked down, he realized what he was missing, what his barely functioning brain failed to understand until now. He looked down at Sandra’s photo again, smiling at him and helping him to gradually calm down from the stress that engulfed him. She soothed the fear in him and reminded him what he was meant to do, and his simple brain complied to listen to the words he imagined her saying to him. 'Come back to me.' She would say, 'I miss you so much... Colin.'  
Colin... Yes, that was his name. The corpse called Colin slowly raised his bloodshot eyes, then slowly peered at the forest behind him. The field of mighty trees urged him to walk deeper, to stay safe from danger and remain hidden from it. Not knowing any other option, he turned to the woodsy labyrinth in front of him and began walking forward with the slow, lumbering steps of a body that could barely work on its own, the photo clutched between his pallid hands. He didn't know where he would go, or how he would get there, but he knew one thing for sure:

He was going home.


End file.
